Parents and Motorists Should Follow These 10 Safety Tips
Nowadays, many children are preparing to go back to school. Majority of these children will be biking, driving or walking. Regardless of the transportation used, these children might face potential dangers before they make it to school. However, these dangers will be avoided if motorists and parents keep in mind the safety reminders which are as follows:
1. Allow your children to take the school bus
As a parent, your child will be safer to travel with school bus than using public transport.
2. Watch for young pedestrians
Children who are under nine years should be supervised by an adult when crossing the road. You should hold the child’s hand since young children learn by watching the adults. Be a positive role model to the children by obeying signals and signs, stopping, looking left and right and looking again, using the sidewalk and making an eye to eye contact with drivers in order to ensure that they are aware you are indeed crossing the road. Take most of your time talking to your child about how he can walk across the road safely.
3. Be cautious
When you are stepping into the road, you should look both ways and consider others. You should keep to the right side of the road so that you can quickly see the oncoming traffic. It is safer to cross the road before a sharp bend thus the oncoming traffic will have a better chance to see you. You should wear bright, fluorescent or light colored clothes. This will help road users to see you especially in poor daylight conditions.
4. Adjust the speed in congested pedestrian areas and school zones
Motorists should not speed through intersections, areas that are congested with pedestrians and school zones especially at night, early morning and early evening. You should consider slowing down for older and young pedestrians who need to cross the road.
5. Drive cautiously around young cyclists
There are more chances of erratic movements when children are cycling. The children who are under the age of 15 are often killed. Make sure to leave a distance of about three feet when a cyclist is passing.
6. Have extra time in the morning
A huge percent of morning traffic is generated by parents who drive their children to school. Parents should give themselves more time until they determine how traffic can impact their daily activities.
7. Educate your children when they get licenses
Teenagers are more likely to be involved in a car crash compared to children who are between the 18 1nd 19 years. When you give your child the tools to be safe on the road, he will be able to save his life and the life of others.
8. Don’t cross the railway level if there are warning lights
Never cross the railway level if there are warning lights. You should wait for the lights and bells to stop before crossing. A lot of crashes occur since pedestrians cross the road without realizing there is a second train is coming.
9. Use a Signalized pedestrian crossing
A signalized crossing should be used for safety. A color green man means you can cross if the road is safe. A flashing red color man means that you can continue crossing the road but if you had not already crossed you should not cross. A steady red color man means that pedestrians should not cross.
10. Don’t horn unnecessarily
Never horn unnecessarily. If there is a need to horn, do so at a respectable distance.
Advantages of Wearing a Helmet
Motorists are at a high risk of being injured by their mistakes or someone else since the motorcycle has an open design. For this reason, motorists should not take any risk by wearing a protective gear such as helmet that will protect them from suffering head injuries. There are different styles and types of head gears helmet. They include:
Novelty helmets, Daytona helmets, half shell helmets and vented helmets. The benefits of wearing helmets while riding a motorcycle are as follows:
You will be Able to Avoid Fatal Injury
You will be able to protect yourself from fatal injuries in case you are involved in an accident. When an accident occurs between a car and a motorcycle, the motorist is often the one who is more injured which can cause head injury and result to death of the motorist. However this can be avoided by wearing a helmet since the chances of head injury or face injury is negligible.
Dust and wind Protection
Motorists who wear helmet are not distracted by dust and wind in their eyes. Instead, the helmet impairs the motorists’ vision by giving him the ability to see clearly. The concentration of the motorists is at maximum and there are no chances of being involved in an accident.
Securing the Eyes
Wearing a helmet will protect the hair from getting in the eyes. If a motorist has hair that keeps getting in his eyes, there are more chances of causing an accident due to impaired vision. Motorists should consider using helmets to keep their hair in place and there will be no chances of getting involved in an accident.
How to Cross the Road Safely
In order to cross the road safely, you should first find the safest place to cross. If there is a zebra crossing, you should consider crossing the road when there when traffic has completely stopped. If there is no zebra crossing, you should choose a place where you can clearly see the road in all directions.
- Stop
You should stand on the pavement and don’t hurry.
- Watch and Listen Carefully
Look at all directions and listen carefully.
- Wait until it is Safe
Be patient and let the traffic pass. When there is a safe gap and enough time, cross the road. Never cross the road if you are not sure if there is enough time.
- How to Stay Visible
Many pedestrians are hit by vehicle because drivers do not see them until it is too late. For you to be seen, you should never assume that the driver has seen you only because you have seen him. Never cross the road near a bend or a hill since it’s harder for a driver to clearly see these places. If you are walking at night, you should consider crossing the road near street lights. Also wear bright colored clothes which are reflective.
